


Never Letting Go of a Good Thing

by Quaratina



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Background Miracle the Dog (Supernatural), Basically the finale except the boys pray to Jack, But Jack gets him back, But Jack refers to Cas as his father in his head, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Castiel and Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester are Jack Kline's Parents, Castiel in the Empty (Supernatural), Castiel is Jack Kline's Parent, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Cute Jack Kline, Dean Winchester Lives, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Dean and Sam are Jack's parents too, Dean might be slightly (very) ooc BUT JUST LET ME HAVE THIS OKAY, Episode Fix-It: s15e20 Carry On, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, If you're salty about the finale I think you'll like this fic, JACK IS FAMILY DAMNIT, Jack Kline Feels, Jack Kline Gets a Hug, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Swearing, My baby gets several hugs, Post-Canon Fix-It, Protective Jack Kline, Protective Parent Castiel (Supernatural), Quote: Family Don't End With Blood (Supernatural), Slight crack but only bc I'm salty about the nail, The Empty (Supernatural), and maybe the vanishing, but mostly the nail, from his dads, the first few lines are direct dialog from the finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27872802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quaratina/pseuds/Quaratina
Summary: “Sam, Sam! Sammy….stay wi-” Dean gasped. “Stay with me. Can you stay with me, please?” He begged.“Okay, yeah. Yeah. I’m here Dean, I’m here. Not going anywhere.” Sam swallowed harshly, his hands frozen over his cellphone as Dean exhaled and rested his head against the beam behind him. Sam’s thoughts seemed to move faster than he could process them. Dean’s injuries were beyond what he could fix with the first aid kit and too serious to move him for the moment. Help wouldn’t arrive in time, either. Sam thought about Cas daily, but it was times like this that made Sam really miss him and his healing mojo. As always, thinking about the angel reminded Sam of-“Jack-” Sam suddenly blurted. “I’m gonna pray to him, okay Dean? Dean,” Sam said forcefully, fear leaking into his tone. He none too gently slapped Dean’s face. “Dean.”Dean jerked, eyes opening. “‘M awake. Praying, Jack. ‘S good plan.”
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel & Jack Kline, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Eileen Leahy & Sam Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Jack Kline & Dean Winchester, Jack Kline & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Jack Kline & Sam Winchester
Comments: 14
Kudos: 154





	Never Letting Go of a Good Thing

**Author's Note:**

> The finale was a joke and it left me deeply unsatisfied. I mean, listen, they have a super-powered kid who is literally God, okay? He should have showed up in the finale that’s all I gotta say. And Cas? CAS? Don’t even get me freaking started. I reject the entire ending of 15x20. I might passive aggressively insult the writer's of 15x20 in this fic but it's fine I promise.
> 
> ALSO, you know what I realized while writing this? I don't think Jack and Eileen have ever met each other in canon. Am I wrong? And like Eileen wasn't even gonna be in this originally, but now she is because she needs to meet my cinnamon roll son. And one last thing, in relation to Eileen, I wrote her interactions with others basically how they do it in the show. There are some mentions of ASL usage, but for the most part, the characters speak to her verbally and vice versa. If Eileen responds to someone and it's not specified that signing is involved, please assume that she was able to gather context from the situation/the reaction of others. Also, I personally assume that after roughly five years (even though it usually takes longer), Sam is fluent in sign because he's intelligent, a fast learner, and he wanted to learn the language for Eileen. Dean is not fluent, however, I think he can still communicate with Eileen well enough to get his thoughts across. These are just my personal opinions on the boys though. Please forgive any ignorance on my part for writing a deaf character and integrating ASL in my writing, I mean no offense and I will gladly take criticism to make my presentation of Eileen and sign language better. :)
> 
> If you read all that, thanks for humoring me and my many thoughts. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

The final vampire had just been beheaded and Sam moved to put his machete away. “Alright, let’s go find those kids, get them out of here,” He said. 

Dean inhaled sharply. “Sam...I don’t-” He hummed in pain. “I don’t think I’m going anywhere.” 

“What? What are you talking about?” Sam finally looked at his brother, taking in his pained expression and immediately moving closer.

“There’s something in my….something in my back.” Dean groaned. “It feels like it’s right through me.”

Sam placed his hand near the entrance to his brother’s wound, pulling back at Dean’s pained grunt. His hand came away covered in blood. 

“Alright. Hold on. Uh, I got you,” Sam braced himself to remove whatever was stuck in his brother’s back. 

“No, no, no. Don’t….don’t.” Dean took a pained breath. “Don’t move me. It feels like this thing’s holding me together right now. Just give me-” He took another shallow breath. “Just give me a minute.”

“Yeah. Um….alright. I’ll call for help, I’ll get the first aid-kit.” Sam moved away from Dean, already pulling out his cellphone only to be stopped by his brother.

“Sam, Sam! Sammy….stay wi-” Dean gasped. “Stay with me. Can you stay with me, please?” He begged.

“Okay, yeah. Yeah. I’m here Dean, I’m here. Not going anywhere.” Sam swallowed harshly, his hands frozen over his cellphone as Dean exhaled and rested his head against the beam behind him. Sam’s thoughts seemed to move faster than he could process them. Dean’s injuries were beyond what he could fix with the first aid kit and too serious to move him for the moment. Help wouldn’t arrive in time, either. Sam thought about Cas daily, but it was times like this that made Sam really miss him and his healing mojo. As always, thinking about the angel reminded Sam of-

“Jack-” Sam suddenly blurted. “I’m gonna pray to him, okay Dean? Dean,” Sam said forcefully, fear leaking into his tone. He none too gently slapped Dean’s face. “Dean.”

Dean jerked, eyes opening. “‘M awake. Praying, Jack. ‘S good plan.” 

Sam exhaled shakily, his hand falling to Dean’s shoulder, squeezing tight. “Jack-” He cleared his throat. “Jack, I don’t know if you can hear me but I really hope you can. I know you said you wouldn’t be hands-on, but we could really use your help. It’s….it’s Dean. He’s hurt pretty bad and I-” 

Before Sam could finish his current sentence he was interrupted by a small gust of wind. The boys looked up, and there, standing at the entrance of the barn, was none other than Jack Kline. 

“Jack,” Dean croaked. “You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here. You needed me.” Jack stated simply before frowning. “What happened?”

“Vamp pushed Dean into something, most likely rebar.” Sam answered. “It’s buried pretty deep.”

“Okay.” Jack said. 

“Okay?” Sam questioned, frowning. 

“Hey, okay!” Dean cried out in elation. 

Sam turned his attention from Jack to his brother and blinked in surprise. Dean was no longer pale, his eyes were clear and focused, and the grimace on his face had been replaced by an amazed grin. Sam noticed his own left hand was now cleansed of blood and once more placed it on his brother’s back, feeling for the piece of metal that he knew was there, only to feel nothing. When Sam pulled his hand away, it was still clean of any blood. 

“What-Jack, how? You didn’t even snap,” Sam asked bewildered. 

Jack shrugged. “I’ve been practicing with my powers.” He tilted his head to the side. “And I think that Chuck just liked to snap for the dramatic flair it added.”

“Now that sounds like something the son of a bitch would do,” Dean smirked. “C’mere, kid.” He said, pulling Jack into a hug. “Thank you. You really saved my ass this time.” Dean pulled back but kept a hand on Jack’s shoulder. 

“It’s no problem. Besides,” Jack eyed the small piece of rebar that still jutted out from the support beam. “ _That_ would have been a pathetic death for a hunter.” He teased. 

“Damn right,” Dean agreed. 

Now that Dean was no longer literally dying, Sam had no qualms about pushing his brother out of the way to pull the nephilim into his arms for a desperate hug. 

“Jack. It’s so good to see you. How are you? What have you been doing?” Sam asked. 

“I’ve been….good. I think. Still adjusting.” The boy shrugged again. “I’ve been trying to right some of Chuck’s wrongs. Restoring some of the lives that he’s disrupted the best I can. From a distance, of course.” 

“Good, that’s...good.” Dean responded. 

Jack nodded. “Yes, I think so too.” He looked between the two brothers. “Well, if that’s all you need, then I should be on my way.” 

“Woah, what-you can’t leave already, you just got here.” Dean demanded. Sam nodded in agreement. “Besides,” Dean coughed. “Sam’s missed you.” At this, Sam punched his brother in the shoulder. “And so have I,” Dean admitted gruffly. 

“Come back to the bunker with us. At least have dinner before you pop off to wherever it is you need to go.” Sam added. 

Jack smiled shyly. “I’ve missed you guys too.” He confided before throwing his arms around Sam and Dean for another hug. “There’s something I need to do first, though.” Jack explained, stepping away quickly.

“But we’ll see you back at the bunker?” Sam clarified.

“Yes. I’ll be there.” Before the brother’s could blink, Jack was gone. 

Sam and Dean glanced at each other, startled by the sudden, silent disappearance. 

Dean cleared his throat and clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Alright then, first things first, let’s go find those boys and get them someplace safe, Sammy.”

…………...

Jack was….well, he was Jack. 

But in some ways, he wasn’t _just_ Jack anymore, either. He felt different than before. More powerful than ever, what with the combined existence of Chuck’s powers and Amara inside him. In less than a fraction of a second, his physical body could be anywhere in the universe. But in the blink of an eye, his body could dissolve, turning into mere particles. Jack enjoyed that. When he was like that, he just existed; everywhere and nowhere at once. It was nice. But even now, in his physical body, he was still everywhere. He was in every raindrop, every gust of wind, and every speck of dust. 

But in other ways, he felt the same as he always had (barring the time that he was soulless, of course). He still liked nougat. He still wanted to help others. He still loved his family—his mother, Castiel, the Winchesters. None of that had changed. It was why he’d metaphorically dropped everything and ran when he heard Sam’s prayer. Even though Jack might be different, he knew he would still do anything for family. 

Even disturb the balance created by the Empty. 

The moment he began to envision a portal, it appeared. He grinned, pleased with himself, before stepping through. He was immediately surrounded by a blank and silent darkness, the portal automatically disappearing behind him. In the Empty there is nothing. And Jack should know, he’d spent a fair amount of time there. 

The eerie silence was broken only by a familiar voice jeering at him. “Oh goody, you’re back.”

Jack turned, facing the manifestation of the Empty which just so happened to take the form of his biological father. Jack sighed. “Look, we’ve been over this. I’m sorry for blowing you up, alright? I already explained to you that it was Billie’s fault.” He stared Lucifer—the Empty—in the eyes. When the entity’s eyes only narrowed, he sighed again. “Need I remind you that when I gained my new power I came here immediately to fix the noise? I can always make it loud again…” he trailed off. It was a threat that Jack had no intention of following through with, but the Empty didn’t need to know that. 

The entity before him huffed, crossing Lucifer’s arms petulantly. “Fine.” 

Suddenly Lucifer’s body was engulfed by a black tar-like substance. It melted away moments later to reveal a much shorter, blonde figure. Meg. 

“Thank you,” Jack nodded. “Now then. Have you had enough time to consider my proposal?” 

“I don’t have much of a choice, now do I?” Meg’s voice drawled. 

Jack smiled wryly. “No, I suppose you don’t. Not if you want to sleep. But this deal works to your advantage. After all these years, you’ll get the one thing you’ve always wanted but could never have,” he tempted. 

The Empty stared at him, long and hard before finally snapping, “The angel in exchange for eternal silence. _Complete_ and undisturbed _silence_. No whispers, no annoying angels, and no more nephilim being in places that they shouldn’t be and waking me up.”

“Yes,” Jack assured. “You will never have to see me again. You won’t have to hear another sound for the rest of eternity, I promise you.” 

The Empty paused once more, before grinning viciously. “Then we have a deal.”

Immediately after the words were spoken, Castiel appeared between the negotiating pair, looking bewildered. “Jack? What are you doing here? What’s going on?” He inquired worriedly. 

Jack smiled reassuringly at his chosen father. “Don’t worry, Cas. I’ve made a new deal. Just trust me, please?” At Jack’s imploring gaze, Castiel nodded and Jack turned his attention back to the conversation at hand. 

“There’s the angel. Now it’s your turn to hold up your end of the deal.” The Empty demanded. 

“With pleasure.” Jack held up his hand and decided that just this once, perhaps some dramatic flair was in order. He made eye-contact with the Empty and snapped his fingers, the sound reverberating around them. 

When Jack had exploded, he had made everything loud. The constant buzz at the edge of the Empty’s consciousness had turned into a roar. When Jack came back the first time, when he had first proposed their little deal, he turned the roar into a whisper. Now, the Empty let out a long sigh as the excruciating whispers faded into blissful silence at long last. 

The Empty opened Meg’s eyes and glared at the boy and the bothersome angel. “Well? What are you waiting for—an invitation to leave? Get out!” 

Jack opened another portal, the golden light shining brightly in the infinite expanse of nothing, and motioned for Castiel to go through. The angel did so quickly, followed by his son. As Jack closed the portal behind him, he felt a whispered _thank you_ travel across the air and he smiled. His grin only grew wider as he studied his father who looked quite ruffled. Before Castiel could utter a word, Jack threw himself into his arms. 

“I missed you so much!” He cried, his words muffled against Castiel’s trenchcoat. 

“Jack,” Castiel breathed, hugging the boy hard. He never thought he would get to see his son again. He could feel him shaking. He pulled back, cupping the boy’s face and wiped away a few stray tears. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” 

Jack shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I’m fine. Sam and Dean are okay too.” Jack saw Castiel’s shoulders relax at his words. “You’ve just missed….a _lot_ ,” he exhaled shakily. 

Castiel pressed a kiss to Jack’s forehead before pulling him back into his arms. “I love you so much. I’m sorry I had to leave you,” he whispered. 

Jack nodded against his father’s chest. “It’s okay. You did it to save Dean.” He reluctantly pulled away, but only far enough to look at Castiel’s face. “You love him.” 

It wasn’t a question, but Castiel nodded anyway. “Yes, I do. Very much.” 

“Family don’t end in blood,” Jack murmured. 

Castiel smiled. He loosened his grip around Jack but kept him within his grasp. “Come,” he motioned to a nearby bench in the (thankfully empty) park they had ended up in. “Tell me everything that I’ve missed.” 

Jack stayed close to his father but began speaking as they walked. “Well, Chuck’s not very good at coming up with original ideas. Did Dean ever make you watch Avengers: Infinity War?” 

…………... 

“I guess I really did miss a lot.” Castiel said, still digesting all of the recent events that he had been absent for. 

“Yep,” Jack replied. 

“And Dean really almost died on a nail?”

“Yep.”

Castiel had to agree with Jack. That was a pitiful way to go. The Great Dean Winchester, the Righteous Man, taken out by tetanus. 

“And you absorbed all of Chuck’s powers, but you’re okay?” He clarified for the fifth time.

Jack just smiled fondly. “Yes, Cas. I’m fine, I promise.”

Castiel nodded, finally accepting that his son was actually alright. “So Dean and Sam are unaware of my return?”

Jack perked up. “That’s right. After I healed Dean, Sam made me agree to have dinner at the bunker before I left. I told them I had something I needed to do first. I was hoping to get you back sooner, but the Empty’s pretty stubborn as far as cosmic entities go.” 

Castiel smiled at his son’s near pout. “Thank you for bringing me back.” He said softly, squeezing Jack’s shoulder. 

The boy shrugged. “You would do the same for me. You _have_ done the same for me.”

“I am so proud of you, Jack. I know your mother is too.” 

Jack glanced up at Castiel, his eyes wet with unshed tears. “Really?” He looked away. “I haven’t gone to visit her yet. I was worried that she-she’d be disappointed in me.”

“Never,” Castiel denied fiercely. He pulled Jack close. “She loves you deeply Jack. She is so very proud of you, I know it. But we’ll just have to visit her together so she can tell you that herself.”

Jack grinned up at his father. “Speaking of Heaven, I have a project in mind and I would appreciate your help, if you’d like to. I want to make Heaven….more open. No more walls. It should be a place where you can be with those you love, not separated from them. I’m unsure where to start though,” he finished nervously, glancing away. 

Castiel’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled softly at his son. He tucked some flyaway hair behind the boy’s ear. “The world doesn’t deserve you, Jack Kline.” He marveled. “I would love nothing more than to help you with this project.” He added. 

Jack beamed, nearly bouncing in his seat and grabbed Castiel’s hand. “Come on, it’s almost time for dinner. I can’t wait to see the look on Sam and Dean’s face when they see you. Maybe Dean’ll even give you a welcome back kiss!” Jack winked at his father. 

Castiel blushed. “You’re incorrigible,” he groaned. 

Jack tugged on Castiel’s hand, pulling him up from the bench. “I don’t know what that means, so thank you.” 

…………... 

Sam was disappointed when he and Dean arrived back at the bunker before Jack. That feeling quickly dimmed however, when he realized who was already at the bunker instead. 

“Eileen!” Sam didn’t hesitate to pull the woman into a bone crushing hug. “I didn’t know you were coming over! Is everything alright?” He made sure Eileen could see his face clearly, but he was able to sign his meaning as well. 

“Everything’s fine, Sam. I just wanted to come and see you.” She wound her arms around Sam’s neck and leaned in for a kiss at her boyfriend’s surprised expression. Sam immediately leaned down to accommodate her height and placed his hands on her hips, squeezing lightly. The couple pulled apart but stayed in each other’s space, gazing tenderly at the other. 

“When’s the wedding?” Dean whispered dramatically. 

Sam blushed and glared at his brother, causing Eileen to turn her attention to Dean as well. 

“What’d you say?” She questioned. 

Dean grinned, pausing for a moment before he made the motion for _only_ and _tease_. “It’s good to see you, Eileen.” He spoke verbally this time, pulling her into a hug and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

“Alright,” Dean sighed when he’d pulled away. “I’m gonna go feed Miracle, give him some fresh water and then take a shower. Jack might’ve gotten rid of the blood but I still feel gross. You two have fun now,” he winked. 

Eileen turned to Sam, raising an eyebrow as Dean made his exit. “Blood?”

Sam exhaled heavily, hands already in motion. _It's a long story_. 

_I have time_. She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before she laced their fingers together and tugged Sam towards the library table. 

…………... 

After his shower, Dean joined Sam and Eileen in the library. Each hunter had a beer in hand and they were actually relaxed for once. After a lull in the conversion Sam spoke up. “When do you think Jack will show?” He fiddled with the label on his beer bottle and Eileen rested her hand over his own in comfort. 

“I’m sure it’ll be soon. The kid said he’d be here. He’s probably just running late from whatever it is that he does now,” Dean assured his brother. He stood up, preparing to grab more beer. “What do you think Jack’ll want for dinner, anyway?” 

“I’m not picky, but I do enjoy your mac 'n' cheese, Dean.”

“Sonuvabitch!” Dean cursed, whirling around. His hand was halfway to his gun before he processed Jack’s voice and saw his face. “You almost gave me a heart attack, kid.”

“My apologies. Next time I’ll be sure to make noise so I don’t scare you.”

“You didn’t _scare_ me, I just wasn’t expecting you to appear silently out of nowhere is all,” Dean grumbled. 

At this, Sam laughed. “Don’t mind him, Jack. He’s just pouting because you got the jump on him.”

“I am not pouting! I don’t pout,” Dean denied vehemently as Eileen laughed at the obvious pout on his face. 

“Yeah okay, Mr. I-pout-every-time-the-store-is-out-of-my-favorite-pie,” Sam teased. 

“Bitch,” Dean retorted. 

“Jerk,” Sam responded with a grin before he motioned between Eileen and Jack. “You guys haven’t met yet, at least not officially, but Jack, this is Eileen. Eileen, Jack.” 

Jack raised one hand to wave. “Hello, I’m Jack.”

Eileen chuckled softly at the boy’s greeting. “Hi, Jack. It’s nice to finally meet you. Sam and Dean have told me a lot about you.”

The boy grinned toothily. “I’m really glad to meet you too, Eileen.” Here, Sam translated for Jack, making sure Eileen hadn't missed any context. 

“Okay then,” Dean remarked happily, clapping Jack on the shoulder. “Dean Winchester’s supreme mac 'n' cheese coming right up!” 

Sam stood, motioning Jack towards the table. “Come on, have a seat. Let me get you a beer.” 

“I’d like that, but there’s something I want to show you first.” Jack smiled nervously, his words grabbing the brothers' attention. 

“Of course, Jack. What’s up?” Sam questioned. 

“You’re not hurt, are you?” Dean added. 

Jack felt something warm bloom in his chest at Dean’s concern for him. “No, I’m fine. It’s a surprise. A good surprise.”

At their identical looks of confusion, Jack closed his eyes and silently prayed. 

_Castiel._

Jack heard the telltale flutter of wings and opened his eyes at Eileen’s soft gasp that filled the otherwise silent room. 

Standing next to Jack, almost as if he had never been gone in the first place, was none other than Castiel. 

“Hello, Dean.” He greeted. “Sam, Eileen.” 

Eileen stared at the angel, mystified. “I thought you were...”

“Dead?” Castiel finished. “Yeah, I got better.” He quipped, recalling the woman’s own words upon their first interaction after her resurrection.

Sam spoke next. “Cas? What-how? I mean, you were taken by the Empty.” His eyes strayed towards Jack. “Jack, did you...?”

The nephilim nodded. “It wasn’t too difficult to persuade the Empty to let Cas go. All I had to do was give the Empty what Billie had promised from the start.”

Sam stepped closer, almost hesitant, and searched Castiel’s face for a moment before breaking out into a wide grin, pulling the angel into his arms. “Welcome home, Cas.” He murmured, pulling away. 

“Cas,” Dean choked. The eldest Winchester stood frozen. Suddenly, in four quick strides, he was standing directly in front of Castiel, mere inches apart. His hands hovered over Castiel’s shoulders before clenching tightly in the fabric of the angel’s trenchcoat. “Don’t ever do that again,” Dean ground out.

Castiel blinked at him. “You mean save your life in a very dramatic, yet heroic, fashion?”

Dean laughed wetly, though it sounded more like he was gasping for breath. “Don’t ever leave again.”

 _Don’t ever leave_ me _again._

Castiel cupped Dean’s face, his thumbs brushing against his cheekbones, wiping away tears that Dean didn’t even realize were falling. “I’m sorry,” Castiel murmured. 

Dean shook his head. “No. No, you don’t owe me anything, Cas. I’m the one who should apologize to you. I-I shoulda told you. I should have told you how-how I felt. But I didn’t. Because I was scared. I was so damn scared.” Dean paused, exhaling shakily as his grip on Castiel tightened. “And then you were gone. And all I could think about was the fact that you would never know just how much I loved you. ‘Cause I do.”

Dean smiled then, suddenly feeling lighter than he had in weeks—years, even—and Castiel’s breath was taken away by the beauty of the man standing in front of him. “I love you, Cas. And I am never letting you go again.”

Castiel raised an eyebrow, ignoring the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. “Never, huh?” He managed to croak. 

Dean smirked, and as if to prove his point, gently tugged Castiel closer, closing the gap between them. Dean searched Castiel’s face for a moment before finally leaning in and connecting their lips.

Dean pulled away by a fraction, their first kiss a mere brush of lips before Castiel brought them together again, harder this time. Castiel’s hands found themselves on the back of Dean’s neck, his fingers toying with the man’s hair. Dean’s own hands had skimmed down Castiel’s chest to land on his waist, gripping tight and pulling the angel impossibly closer. Castiel groaned into the kiss and Dean took the opportunity to lick his way into Castiel’s mouth. Their tongues fought for dominance before Castiel relented with a soft sigh. It was Dean’s turn to quietly groan this time as he explored Castiel’s mouth. 

After what felt like eternity, but also not nearly enough time, Castiel finally pulled away and Dean nearly whined at the loss until Castiel rested their foreheads together. Both were out of breath but grinning wildly. Dean felt so exhilarated that he couldn’t even be bothered to care that he’d just made out with Castiel in front of his brother, Eileen, and Jack. 

Well, that was until Sam (who had been translating every word of the romantic confession for Eileen) opened his mouth. 

“I honestly didn’t think that you guys would ever admit your feelings for each other, let alone get this far.” He commented, signing something similar.

Eileen whacked her boyfriend on the arm and Dean smirked at his brother’s pain. 

“Ow!” Sam whined, rubbing the spot tenderly. 

“You deserved that,” Eileen told him before turning her attention towards Castiel and Dean. “You two look good together.” 

Sam placed an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. “Eileen’s right, you know. I’m really happy for you guys. Even if it did take a long time. Like a really long time. So much time, in fact, that I-”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it Sammy. You can shut your piehole,” Dean interrupted. 

“Thank you, both of you.” Castiel added, always the diplomat. 

There was a muffled squeal from Jack before he exclaimed: “I was right!” 

“What exactly were you right about?” Sam questioned. 

“Oh, well I told Cas that maybe Dean would be so happy to see him that Dean would give him a welcome back kiss. And I was right!” He explained with child-like exuberance.

Castiel laughed which made Dean chuckle as well. “Yes, technically you were correct Jack.” The angel agreed, which made the boy beam with pride.

“Yeah, you definitely had my reaction spot on, kid. C’mere.” Dean motioned Jack closer, placing both hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Cas wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you. Hell, neither would I.” Dean squeezed Jack’s shoulders gently to stress his point. “I owe you an apology. Before everything happened, I said some things—a lot of things actually—that weren’t true. I was in a bad place, but that’s no excuse for taking it out on you. So I need to make something clear to you, Jack. You are family, okay? You’re family. And I’m sorry for all the times that I ever made you feel like you weren’t.” 

Tears welled up in Jack’s eyes. Dean gave one last squeeze to his shoulders before letting go and opening his arms in invitation. Before Dean knew it, the boy was throwing himself into his arms and sobbing into his chest. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for everything, Dean! Please forgive me, I’m sorry.” Jack cried, his words muffled. 

Dean felt his heart ache for all the pain that Jack had faced and held the boy tighter. “It’s okay, shh, I’ve got you. You’re okay.” Dean comforted. He pressed a kiss to the top of Jack’s head. “I forgive you. I forgive you, Jack.” At this, the young boy cried harder. 

Dean made eye-contact with Castiel over Jack’s head as he continued to whisper reassurances. And then Castiel was there, hugging Jack as well. “You’re alright, Jack. Your family’s here.” The angel murmured, carding a hand through his son’s hair, his other hand resting on Dean’s back. 

Dean turned his head to look at his brother, only to be greeted with Sam’s puppy dog eyes. Dean sighed, accepting his fate. “Get over here, Sammy.” He motioned with his head. 

Sam grinned and made his way over, tugging Eileen with him. He wrapped his arms around the small group and Eileen giggled as she wormed her way under one of Sam’s arms until she was standing next to Dean. “Group hug!” She cheered. 

Jack managed a watery laugh. “Isn’t this considered a chick flick moment?”

“Oh, it’s definitely a chick flick moment,” Sam assured. 

Castiel chuckled deeply. “But we all know that Dean loves ‘chick flick’ movies.”

“Damn right I do.” Dean added gruffly, only squeezing Jack tighter. 

This right here…. _this_ was Dean’s choice. His choice, not Chuck’s. 

This was his.

And he wasn’t ever going to let go. 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, but the Empty is a mood. Like all this entity wants is to go tf to sleep and if that's not the most relatable thing ever then I don't know what is. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
